Price drops are not always easy to spot!

[pacheco18]

Oceania's advertising has a bit of "hocus pocus" but the latest flyer lead me to believe that maybe there was a price reduction on our May 2012 cruise (Majestic Masterpieces). The prices quoted in the flyer did not seem less than I paid, but there was mention of a $1500 discount per cabin. Even my TA couldn't figure it out! LOL He called O and we got more than $1000 off the price. I'm hoping for another reduction as we get closer.

 

I urge everyone to check with your TA about price reductions. You simply cannot figure it out from the brochures.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

How about if one books directly with Oceania on-line? Can you just call them and ask if there has been a price reduction (pre-final payment date)?

 

I saw our cruise in the latest flyer also, but after taking out the air and hotel credit (and the $1,000 per cabin "bonus discount" advertized when we signed up), it looked like the price was the same, if not $100 higher.

 

I guess I'll get one of our programmers here at work to write a program to ping and decipher the O website :eek:

[pacheco18]

Just my 2 cents

 

You are far better off booking with a high volume Oceania TA than booking directly.

My TA gets me an OBC and gratuities included.

If there is a price drop, he does the hard work.

 

You can transfer your booking to a TA now. That's what I would do -- and let the TA earn his/her commission.

 

The brochure prices just do not tell the story ...but it is unlikely the Riviera maiden voyage has a price reduction!

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Thanks for the tip. As I entered the cruising world long after being accustomed to doing everything on-line (well, almost everything...), I've never seen much need for a travel agent, so do not have one. I have apps on my phone for all the airlines, etc.

 

I know CC doesn't like people to post specifics about TAs, but perhaps someone could comment on how to go about finding a "high-volume Oceania TA"? I checked a couple of TAs that advertise Oceania on CC, but their freebies amounted to about $50 after all was said and done, not worth the hastle of dealing with a real live human :eek:

 

Back on our Regent Mariner cruise, they canceled our initial cruise and offered a very fair package as compensation. But, as the squeaky wheel gets the grease, I called them up, asked for a manager, and requested a huge upgrade to a Penthouse cabin. The manager said, "let me check on that", and a few minutes later came back and said "Yes, Regent is happy to give you the upgrade". So, I have no problem dealing directly with the cruise lines. I just wish they would provide a little discount to those that book on-line and not cost them any person-hours chatting on the phone. And there is no commision to a TA, so their profit margin is greatly increased.

 

But, I'm willing to play the TA game to save a few bucks if that's the way O wants to do it... Any advice on finding a good one would be greatly appreciated.

[pacheco18]

We simply are not allowed to even hint at the name of a TA.

 

I would suggest, however, on your next O cruise, you ask your fellow passengers for recommendations. I actually carry cards from my TA in case someone asks.

 

Your best bet is to shop around on the internet. Google some key words that would indicate that the agency has some ability to do more for you with Oceania than other agencies.

 

I agree a small OBC is not worth it (mine are usually small on O), but gratuities are worth several hundred dollars.

 

Good luck.

[Bruin Steve]

I learned long ago that a good TA is worth their weight in gold (and I mean a GOOD TA...There are lots of worthless TAs out there too)...

 

A TA shouldn't cost you any extra and often they will give you discounts, OBCs or other benefits you won't get booking directly with the cruise lines...

 

But they also can help you in a number of ways--including fighting for you in any dispute or issue with the cruise line...

 

I used one TA for about 15 years until they recently told me they were phasing out of the business...I found them originally by doing google searches on the internet then sending out an identical price quote request to about a dozen TAs (same cruise, same ship, same date, same cabin category)...But, nowadays, there are even some popular websites which will "shop" your quote for you and let their participating agencies COMPETE for your cruise business...

 

But, also be wary, the lowest price is not necessarily the TA you want to use...It is important to feel comfortable with your TA...to know that they are responsive, honest, easy to deal with and that they will give you good service...

 

With my old TA phasing out, for my last booking, I used one of these sites, but I then engaged a few of the bidders in some e-mail and phone calls back and forth--to see how they would be to deal with...and I ended up going with the THIRD BEST bid...because I liked what I read and was hearing...The responses were straightforward and she was very easy to reach on the telephone and very personable when I spoke with her...

 

"Volume" does enable the TA to quote a better deal...but you don't want someone who sacrifices service for the volume...

 

Good luck...

[azam71209]

I have gone to *************.com to at least get a feel for what a good deal looks like. You tell them what you want and several TAs get back to you with quotes. You are free to follow up with each of them to get more specific information and decide who you want to go with. You use a fake name so they do not ever get your email address until you decide to call them after getting a quote.

[JimandStan]

I have gone to *************.com to at least get a feel for what a good deal looks like. You tell them what you want and several TAs get back to you with quotes. You are free to follow up with each of them to get more specific information and decide who you want to go with. You use a fake name so they do not ever get your email address until you decide to call them after getting a quote.

 

The thing that bothers me about that system is that ALL of those agents are putting holds on rooms when you ask for those quotes, so it could never work for anything above a penthouse.

[wripro]

Which is what the vast majority of bookings are.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Thanks all for the inputs. How about seeing a local TA, in person, at one of the big agencies. We live in Orange County, CA, and I see TA offices here and there. Our company uses one of the biggest for our corporate travel, and we can use them for personal stuff.

[pacheco18]

A big agency is not necessarily a cruise specialist, much less a specialist in a particular cruise line.

 

I think you would be better off with an internet search.

[JimandStan]

Thanks all for the inputs. How about seeing a local TA, in person, at one of the big agencies. We live in Orange County, CA, and I see TA offices here and there. Our company uses one of the biggest for our corporate travel, and we can use them for personal stuff.

 

Over here in New England, Liberty Travel is the biggest of the brick and morter Travel Agents.

 

Two months ago, I stopped in, just to pick up a brochure for an aunt who isn't yet on the mailing list, and I was shocked to find that they didn't have any. Not a single one.

 

Turns out that no one in that office (it was a Saturday and they had ten on duty) had EVER sold an Oceania Cruise. They knew of the name, of course, but were only interested in steering me into a Carnival or NCL Cruise.

 

Long story short, I went home and gave Aunt Joan our brochure.

[caribbeansun]

It would likely be easier to spot the discounts if the volume of marketing collateral wasn't so over the top - rec'd two the same day - one said 75% off and the other 65% off :confused:. Rarely does one of their mailings get a second look before it hits the recycle bin.

 

Oceania's advertising has a bit of "hocus pocus" but the latest flyer lead me to believe that maybe there was a price reduction on our May 2012 cruise (Majestic Masterpieces). The prices quoted in the flyer did not seem less than I paid, but there was mention of a $1500 discount per cabin. Even my TA couldn't figure it out! LOL He called O and we got more than $1000 off the price. I'm hoping for another reduction as we get closer.

 

I urge everyone to check with your TA about price reductions. You simply cannot figure it out from the brochures.

[pier]

Years ago I started to book an Oceania cruise with my local travel agent. Then, on an impulse, I contacted a few agencies on the Internet that seemed reputable (they had been in business a long time). The prices the TA's I talked to that I found on the Internet were substantially less. I used one of them until she retired. She was very thorough and always did an excellent job for us. When I used her the first time, I asked her why her price was so much less than my local agent. She told me that on that particular day, she sold four Oceania cruises. It was her guess that the local agent may not sell that many in a year. The agencies that sell the most cruises get the best prices from the cruise lines.

[pacheco18]

About a year I went into a local agency that has a substantial internet presence and purports to be "cruise specialists." I thought it might be nice to shop local and have a face to face relationship with my TA. They had tons of cruise brochures and indeed were booking cruises. I got a quote on the identical cruise from them and from my regular TA. The difference in OBC was hundreds of dollars (not an O cruise).

 

Although volume is not an indication of quality of service, it is often volume that allows these agencies to cut their commissions more substantially and give greater value to customers. For some luxury cruises, you might get back as much as 12% in OBCs, perks or even rebates!!

 

I suggest that you find an experienced volume agency on line -- tell them you expect good service and that you will be a repeat customer. If you don't like the service you can move on. One of the things I do (aside from handing out my TA's business card on cruises if asked) is refer others. Again, the more cruises my TA books, the better for all his clients.

[JimandStan]

Rarely does one of their mailings get a second look before it hits the recycle bin

 

You may be sorry someday that you discarded them, 30 years from now they are sure to be worth their weight in gold.

 

Collectors go mad for this type of ephemera. Right now there is a French Line brochure selling on Ebay for $750.00, and I've seen others go for as much as $4000,00.

Baggage tags are also very collectible, even the used ones.

 

To think, it was all originally sent out free.....

[caribbeansun]

Now that is surprising!

 

I'm guessing they weren't mailing them out every 2 weeks though...I think we'd end up on an episode of one of those hoarder shows in no time if we kept all the cruise line brochures.

 

You may be sorry someday that you discarded them, 30 years from now they are sure to be worth their weight in gold.

 

Collectors go mad for this type of ephemera. Right now there is a French Line brochure selling on Ebay for $750.00, and I've seen others go for as much as $4000,00.

 

Baggage tags are also very collectible, even the used ones.

 

To think, it was all originally sent out free.....

[ORV]

Speaking of the latest mailings, anyone else noticed the printing errors? Here's a hint, it's in the categories on certain cruises on Regatta, Insignia and Nautica.

[pacheco18]

Speaking of the latest mailings, anyone else noticed the printing errors? Here's a hint, it's in the categories on certain cruises on Regatta, Insignia and Nautica.

 

I would have to READ them to find the errors. LOL

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Ok, I am now a believer in using TAs to book cruises (Thanks yorkiemomjn!)

[wripro]

Pam,

 

Always good to laugh.

[CintiPam]

Pam,

 

Always good to laugh.

 

I definitely owe you one, wripro. (I'll have to ask Jim to buy you a cognac on your cruise together.:))

[JimandStan]

I definitely owe you one, wripro. (I'll have to ask Jim to buy you a cognac on your cruise together.:))

 

It would be my pleasure ;)

[wripro]

I'll drink to that.